The Truth About The New Bachelor Spinoff

The Bachelor franchise has certainly shaken things up in 2021. First, Matt James' historic Season 25 ended in a scandal-ridden heartbreak, leading longtime host Chris Harrison to temporarily walk away from the series. Then it was announced that there would be not one, but two Bachelorettes for back-to-back seasons, plus the highly-anticipated return of Bachelor in Paradise. It's almost easy to forget that ABC hinted at another Bachelor spinoff months ago — and now, we finally have the details. 

Let's just say maybe Clare Crawley inspired this idea. The former Bachelorette made headlines for being the oldest franchise star at a whopping 39 years old *insert eye roll*, and now Bachelor Nation has fully embraced the cougar concept. According to Refinery 29, a "Bachelor-inspired dating show for seniors" has been in the works since 2020, and resumed casting in February 2021 for 65+ citizens "looking for love." Per Variety, the series was originally slated for a fall 2020 release, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced production to pause. A casting call for the series encourages those who are "entering their golden years and are ready for a committed relationship" to apply. 

"It's such a different way of doing The Bachelor because these people are just at a totally different place in their lives," ABC executive Rob Mills told Variety. "There is an interesting thing about people who have hit the other end of the spectrum, who've lived their lives, they've raised their kids, some have been widowed or divorced and maybe some have never been in love. We thought that would be an interesting dynamic through the Bachelor prism." So what are the details on the new Bachelor spinoff? Keep scrolling to find out!

A slew of singles looking for their one and only? Cue up the drama! No, we're not talking about summer fun-filled Bachelor in Paradise, but rather the new yet-untitled spinoff in the works at ABC. The senior citizen-focused dating series is looking for the "Grumpiest Old Men" and "Goldenest Girls" to vie for love, according to Deadline. Will this be a Paradise with a Cocoon twist? 

ABC executive Rob Mills compared The Bachelor franchise to other Disney-owned juggernaut universes like Marvel and Lucasfilm. "In the same way that Lucasfilm is not just Star Wars anymore, it's The Mandalorian...it's the same thing with The Bachelor," Mills explained to Deadline. For the new spinoff, it seems most of the reality TV contestants will remember seeing the original 1977 Star Wars film in theaters. Mills even revealed that a contestant admitted in casting interviews to have slept with a former President of the United States. "These people have great stories to tell," Mills concluded. "[It's] a home run idea if we get it right." 

Fans are already applauding the spinoff. "I would love a senior's edition. Gimme some contestants who don't know how to use Instagram and are there 'for the right reasons,'" one fan wrote on Reddit. "Hear me out: Bachelor Pad but with older people. I would be here for them fighting for that money to get a more comfortable retirement," another joked. Bring on the seniors!